Global Austin invites you to a Citizen Diplomacy Reception and Networking Event on Tuesday, December 17, 6 p.m., at the Hyatt Regency Hotel to welcome four visitors from the Czech Republic. The theme of their program is ‘The Role of Local Radio in Community Development’.

These visitors are participants in the U.S. Department of State International Visitor Leadership Program – the Department of State’s premier professional exchange program.

Complimentary Self Parking

(bring your ticket inside for validation)

Valet Parking Available

Ms. Kamila IVANOVA – Ms. Ivanova has recently taken the position of Broadcast Editor and Moderator of Czech Radio Olomouc. She is interested in exploring the role of public radio in a democratic society, including marketing and financing.

Mr. Martin KOLOVRATNIK – As Director of the regional radio station in Pardubice, Mr. Kolovratnik has a broad range of responsibilities, including managing staff and finances. He also works as an active speaker and journalist. In addition to his role at the station, he also teaches new media techniques to students at the local university. Mr. Kolovratnik is interested in learning the latest trends in media and communications in the U.S.

Ms. Hana ONDRYASOV – Ms. Ondryasova works for Czech Radio Brno, the Brno regional station, which serves the second largest city in the Czech Republic with a population of about two million people. She is interested in how stations in the U.S. create programs and news reporting to attract large audiences.

Mr. Petr SIMEK – Mr. Simek focuses on the technical aspects of radio broadcasting at Czech Radio Ceske Budejovice. He is interested in exploring how to promote broadcast services and appeal to audiences within a particular regional context.

Austin Community College International Programs is searching for a host family for the 2013-14 school year for a German student participating in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX).

Please forward to other who may be interested – thanks!

Margie Kidd

Executive Director

GlobalAustin

512-215-0140

ACC International Programs is searching for a host family for the 2013-14 school year for a German student participating in the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX).

CBYX has been connecting German students with American host families for more than 28 years. ACC has participated in the program for 13 years.

The student is a 21-year-old English-speaking female. She does not smoke. She enjoys tennis, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.

The host family must be willing to welcome the student into their home for the entire academic year, and provide room and board. The host family is eligible for a monthly stipend of up to $225 to offset room and board costs.

“A host family will have the opportunity to develop a close relationship with the exchange student, learn about her country, and help her learn about life in the U.S.,” says William Hayden, Director of International Programs at ACC.

For more information, contact Hayden at 512-112-7689 or William.hayden@austincc.edu. To learn more about the CBYX program, visit austincc.edu/intstudy/exchange.

]]>The World Affairs Council of Houston is organizing a tour to North Korea. This tour will provide a glimpse of life within the reclusive country, and a chance to explore the significant cultural heritage of the northern part of the Korean peninsula.

Besides witnessing the unique Arirang Mass Games in Pyongyang, you will visit the heavily fortified border of the Demilitarized Zone just 50 miles away from Seoul, South Korea. You will see firsthand the conditions resulting from the armistice of 1953. As a member of this trip, you will be one of only a handful of people who have gained access to this society that is closed to the world.

The City of Austin, GlobalAustin and EuroCircle will be joining hands and building the next great event together by hosting an International Potluck. This means that you can all bring your traditional dishes and have other members experience new flavors and most of all, your cooking skills! This is no Top Chef event, but it will be a great way to challenge yourself and share your culture with just a bite of heaven.

This event will be hosted at Icenhauer’s

83 Rainey Street, Austin, TX 78701

Sunday June 23,

starting at 5:30pm.

All drinks will be available for purchase at the bar, and all food will be nicely organized according to the different flavors you bring to the table.

Please RSVP for the event. We ask that all members who wish to bring a dish send details to calendar.coordinator@globalaustin.org. If you just want to attend, that is no problem, but this is a great opportunity to share something you are proud of.

Global Austin will have a table set up so you can talk about upcoming events and add the events you are excited about to their calendar. The best marketing tool is word of mouth, keep that in mind.

Food always brings people together, so keep this date open. Go work out and come hungry!

We look forward to seeing you then!

RSVP required. To RSVP, send an email to calendar.coordinator@globalaustin.org

If you will be bringing a dish to share, make to sure include what it is and what type of serving utensil is needed for it.

]]>http://www.globalaustin.org/international-austin-potluck/feed/0Austin rolls out the culture and the commerce for ambassadorshttp://www.globalaustin.org/austin-rolls-out-the-culture-and-the-commerce-for-ambassadors/
http://www.globalaustin.org/austin-rolls-out-the-culture-and-the-commerce-for-ambassadors/#commentsWed, 15 May 2013 16:15:15 +0000http://www.globalaustin.org/?p=1037

>>read more

]]>

Austin rolls out the culture and the commerce for ambassadors

At its weirdest, Austin might come as a mild culture shock for visitors from other parts of Texas — let alone other parts of the globe — but local officials put that openness and creativity on proud display this week for ambassadors from 26 countries around the world.

The ambassadors, in town for three days as part of the U.S. State Department’s Experience America program, enjoyed a broad cross-section of Central Texas culture and business — from a stop for barbecue at Salt Lick to a taste of Texas politics, history, entrepreneurialism and technology.

]]>http://www.globalaustin.org/austin-rolls-out-the-culture-and-the-commerce-for-ambassadors/feed/0Cultural Vistas welcomed four Turkmen representatives to the United Stateshttp://www.globalaustin.org/cultural-vistas-welcomed-four-turkmen-representatives-to-the-united-states/
http://www.globalaustin.org/cultural-vistas-welcomed-four-turkmen-representatives-to-the-united-states/#commentsWed, 08 May 2013 14:50:32 +0000http://www.globalaustin.org/?p=1033

>>read more

]]>WASHINGTON – Cultural Vistas welcomed four Turkmen representatives to the United States over the weekend to begin a three-week International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) focused on promoting disability rights.

Their program, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational Affairs, began in the nation’s capital and will include visits to Austin, Texas and Portland, Ore., before concluding in New York City on May 24.

During their visits, the four esteemed delegates will meet with professional counterparts, gain a firsthand understanding of U.S. life and culture, and be exposed to an American perspective on advocacy, access, and empowerment for the disabled.

a lecture from a cycle of work bySlavs and Tatars,Friendship of Nations: Polish Shi’ite Showbiz

On Thursday, April 4 at 7:00 pm, Slavs ad Tatars co-founder, Payam Sharifi, will be presenting a free lecture at the University of Texas, Austin, Mezes Hall, 1.306. The title of his lecture is 79.89.09, from a cycle of workentitled: Friendship of Nations: Polish Shi’ite Showbiz. This presentation is sponsored by the University of Texas at Austin Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies, the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, and the Austin Polish Society. For more information visit: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/centers/creees/.

Activism through Social Media: A Project for Pakistan

Secretly everyone has had the dream at least once where the government calls with a special mission, and you are the one they need. It’s a dream that rarely comes true, and in our case almost got overlooked, when an email came to our Vice President, Adam Price with the subject: URGENT: US Department of State Meeting Request: Activism through Social Media, Pakistan.

Like many would, Price said at first he thought it was a spam email. However, after a few phone calls with Pamela-Jean Mohamed, Associate Executive Director for International Programs with GlobalAustin, he confirmed that this was a legitimate request from the State Department in Washington for representatives from Speak Social to meet with delegates from both the U.S. and Pakistan to discuss the topic, Activism through Social Media. Speak Social’s portion of the meeting will take place this afternoon in Austin; however, the delegation will continue meeting on different topics both today and tomorrow, February 9.

According to Mohamed, the delegation from Pakistan is coming to the US through the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, which fosters citizen-to-citizen diplomacy for emerging leaders.

Each year GlobalAustin coordinates meetings and opportunities for cross-cultural sharing for over 400 international dignitaries from over 90 countries. The topics range from agriculture to zoning and bring in emerging leaders from government, non-profits, academia, journalism and the private sector. The program has been in existence since after WWII and famous alumni of this State Department program include Gordon Brown, Queen ‘Mamohato Seeiso, Tony Blair, Anwar Sadat, Margaret Thatcher, Nicolas Sarkozy, Hamid Karzai, Indira Gandhi, Felipe Calderón and Mikheil Saakashvili just to name a few.

Mohamed said that Washington personally asked her to request an opportunity for the delegation to meet with Speak Social to learn more about the company and how we use Social Media to promote awareness.

“We want to discuss best practices for engaging an audience to advance your message, the value of collecting analysis of web traffic and usage, and deciding on the best new media platforms to fit our objectives,” Mohamed said.

In addition, the delegation would like to hear more about the Social Good Summit, Work-From-Home Program that we have vigorously worked with other volunteers to coordinate.

“I am honored to represent the US and work with the business leaders from Pakistan to discuss Social Media, and the positive impact it can have on business practices and the world,” Price said. “Working together, in these worldwide exchanges are a large part of why we started Speak Social.”

In addition to Adam, Speak Social President Brad Bogus will also be speaking with the delegation to offer his expertise and opinions.
“By helping other cultures learn from each other, the State Department is doing a great thing,” Bogus said. “We’re excited to show the Pakistani Delegation what we’ve done with our clients and causes, but we’re more looking forward to learning what has worked for them.”

Program ObjectivesThe Department of State has outlined the following specific objectives for the project:

– To highlight innovations and ways in which social media have been used successfully in the U.S. by the public and private sector, as well as NGOs and grassroots activists.
– To increase understanding of policies and strategies for developing effective communication platforms, and how to initiate and design far-reaching social media campaigns that further human rights and democratic ideals.
– To improve technical skills needed to develop and use social media, such as content development, video production, and interfacing with existing social media platforms.
– To learn about techniques and strategies to reach rural and/or low penetration areas, such as texting/SMS.
– To increase outreach and global linkages with international organizations and institutions.

Joe W. Neal, 96 passed away at his home in Austin on January 14, 2013.

Born in Watertown, Tennessee, October 25, 1916, to Basil Young Neal and Katie Jo Greene, Joe attended school in Tennessee before the family moved to Texas. Graduating from Brackenridge High School in San Antonio at age 15, he attended San Antonio Junior College. There, his debate coach arranged for him to debate a Houston team, coached by Lyndon B. Johnson. He maintained contact with LBJ through his presidency. Joe transferred to The University of Texas at Austin, continuing his debate interests. There he earned his BA, MA and PhD in Government.

He served in the U.S. Army and US Army Reserve from 1941 until 1972, retiring with the rank of Colonel. He became a disabled veteran when a helicopter blade almost severed his right arm.

During the early 1940s, Joe was employed in Washington D.C. There he fondly remembered having tea with Eleanor Roosevelt.

On October 10, 1943, Joe married Clarice G. Hollman in Shiner, Texas, whom he had met when she attended the University of Texas as an international student from Brazil. They had four children.

Following the war, Joe returned to The University of Texas, joining the government department in 1946 and subsequently became a professor in the College of Communication. He started the International Office at the University, providing services to international students attending UT. He served as Director of International Programs until his retirement from the University in 1986, though continued teaching until 1995. In 1985 he chartered the Texas International Education Consortium (TIEC), an organization of all the public universities in Texas for the purpose of promoting higher education internationally. He served as President and CEO until his retirement in 1995.

Joe was instrumental in the formation of national organizations related to international education, including the National Association of Foreign Student Affairs (NAFSA), the Association of International Education Administrators (AIEA), and the Texas Partners of the Americas, among others.

Joe travelled around the world, being received by Kings, Queens and Heads of State. He was responsible for receiving thousands of international students to the University of Texas and other Texas universities. Many of these students returned home to illustrious careers in government and business.

Joe continued to be active with his international contacts. He enjoyed receiving visits from former students and attending gatherings of colleagues. Over the past few years he worked diligently with former associate Barbara Altman to record and organize his memoirs.

He was proud of his family. He especially enjoyed visits and sharing stories of his childhood and career with his grandchildren. He reveled in entertaining family and visitors at gatherings at their farm in Tennessee and at Horse Thief Hollow Ranch in Austin where he frequented at every chance.

Joe is survived by his sister, Mary Nichol; children, John H. and wife, Linda of California, Tom L. and wife, Candace of California, Mary Jo Beckman and husband Robert of Virginia, and Frank W. (Pancho) and wife, Jane of Texas, 16 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, sister, Martha, of Tennessee, and brother, Tom, of Nevada.

Joe left a legacy of family, friends and associates. He mentored many entering careers in international education or seeking educational opportunities, offering assistance to open doors on their behalf. He will be sorely missed.

The family is especially appreciative of the dedication and efforts of his staff of assistants and caregivers, Pam, Erika, Maria, Josie, Celia, Stella, Michelle and Brenda. Their care and compassion allowed him to remain in his home and continue his active schedule.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be made to Global Austin (formerly the International Hospitality Council at Austin) 1103 W. 24th Street, Austin, TX 78705, or the Joe W. Neal Centennial Fellowship in International Communication, College of Communication, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Station A0900, Austin, TX 78712-1094.